Anderson Dental Care - November 2018

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR THIS YEAR? THE SMALLEST THINGS MATTER THE MOST

For many people, the holiday season is the busiest time of the year. In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, families will brave stores to go shopping for supplies, rid their homes of every speck of dust, and spend hours preparing the plump turkey. In all the chaos surrounding this event, it’s easy to lose sight of what is really important this time of year: gratitude. In preparation for Thanksgiving, I sat down and considered all that I was truly grateful for this year. While the list is long, it can be summed up in three words: the small things. So often, the outwardly big aspects of life cause people to forget about the smaller, but equally important, ones. While I could say that I am thankful for my job and my dental practice, I am more thankful for the specific factors that played a role in my journey to get here. Take my biology classes, for example. Growing up, I had a love-hate relationship with them. I really wanted to like the material, but I just struggled through it. To make matters worse, my grandpa was a biology professor, so he had taught all of my science teachers when they were in school. In a way, I think they expected me to do well because he was a great teacher. It wasn’t until graduate school that something clicked for me. I don’t know exactly what changed, but I went from hating biology to loving it. I even studied it for my master’s degree. To this day, it amazes me that such a

small thing like a biology course could have such a profound impact on the place I am now.

inspires me to be more positive in my own life. I’m always amazed at how much of an impact this one person has on my overall outlook. This amazement has been at the forefront of my mind a lot more often in the last three months since the arrival of my new son, Grady. Since his birth, I keep thinking about how grateful I am for my wife, my kids, and the adventures we share. One particularly memorable adventure occurred just recently. I had a random day off during the week, and I really wanted to take advantage of it, but the weather just wasn’t cooperating. As I stared at the rain pouring outside, I decided that I was sick of it. My family and I ended up driving two hours away to Louisville, where we spent the day visiting museums and exploring the town — under a clear blue sky! On this day, the simple decision to find better weather resulted in an unforgettable experience. All these small and simple elements — a biology class, a patient’s positive personality, or a snap decision on a rainy day — have influenced the happiness I feel on a daily basis, as well as the way I approach gratitude when Thanksgiving comes along. So when you’re seated around your kitchen table this year and it’s your turn to list off all that you’re thankful for, I encourage you to start small and go from there.

My love for my patients has also played a huge role in my life. A major part of our mission here at Anderson Dental Care is to get to know each patient on an individual basis and forge long-lasting relationships with them. While many of my patients have become great friends, when I think about

patients who’ve impacted my life, there is always one man who immediately comes to mind. From the moment he walks in the door, he brightens everyone’s day. He genuinely cares about getting to know everyone on our team. I love seeing his name on my calendar because he is such a joy to be around, and he “In all the chaos surrounding this event, it’s easy to lose sight of what is really important this time of year: gratitude.”